


Isle

by Koschei_Oakdown



Category: Green Lantern - All Media Types
Genre: Apologies, Beaches, Desert Island, Fluff and Angst, Knives, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-17
Updated: 2019-12-17
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:55:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21838576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Koschei_Oakdown/pseuds/Koschei_Oakdown
Summary: After getting them both stuck on a desert island, Hal does some impromptu cliff diving and eventually convinces Sinestro to do the same.
Relationships: Hal Jordan/Thaal Sinestro
Comments: 14
Kudos: 15





	Isle

**Author's Note:**

> Credit to DC Comics

Legs crossed neatly beneath him, Sinestro was sharpening a knife against a nearby flat rock. His brow was furrowed in deep concentration, and he knew that finally, just as soon as he'd finished this, he would be able to get rid of the nuisance that was Hal Jordan.

Of course, with his newly sharpened knife in hand, Thaal would also be able to accomplish other things. Like splitting open the coconuts he'd appropriated from a nearby tree or building shelter. But that wasn't important. Getting rid of Hal was.

However, Thaal noticed with a frown as he paused to look around, Hal appeared to have been scared off already. No longer was he bombarding Sinestro with assurances they could get out of this if they only worked together. Hal was gone.

A brief moment of concern was all Thaal allowed himself to feel, then he went back to sharpening his knife. If Hal was about to sneak up on him, Sinestro would be ready.

On the slight breeze that occasionally passed over the beach was a sound, and Thaal paused once again, this time to listen. The sound came into clearer focus so that Thaal could make out the shouted words.

"Oi, Sinestro!" was what was shouted in an annoyingly familiar voice. "Sinestro! Hey! Can you hear me?"

In following the direction that sound was coming from, Thaal spied a figure standing atop a nearby cliff. It was of course, Hal, and surprisingly enough, he'd actually had the good sense to stay back from the edge of the cliff. Usually, Hal was liable to trip over and fall into the sea. That was, however, the only thing he'd showed any sense in.

For some reason, no doubt an idiotic one, Hal had stripped down to his underwear. Now he had no protection from the sun which would doubtless burn his skin and make life very unpleasant.

Since Hal was still shouting at him, jumping up and down and waving furiously, Sinestro was forced to at least offer some kind of acknowledgement. One hand was lifted into the air and he gave Hal a brief wave in return. He could just imagine how even that little action would make Hal smile. The human was ridiculous.

"Watch this!" Hal continued with and turned away. He rubbed his hands together, backed off a bit, then he broke into a run, heading straight for the cliff edge.

Alarmed, Sinestro scrambled to his feet, knife falling from his hand. Yes, he'd wanted Hal to leave him alone, it was Hal's fault they were stuck on this island with no rings in the first place, but he'd certainly not intended for Hal to throw himself off a cliff.

There was nothing Thaal could do to stop it. He was forced to watch as Hal hit the water with a shriek of laughter and a splash. Then all was quiet.

Perhaps Thaal could make it in time to save Hal, if he ran fast enough. It would have to be very fast for Hal's head had still not broken the surface of the water.

Each step that pounded against the ground sent up a spray of sand, until Sinestro reached the point where it was damp underfoot. If he continued, he'd be risking his life, all for a human who had done this to himself. Was it really worth it?

There, at the water's edge, was where Sinestro paused and searched carefully through the ocean, hoping to spot Hal. No sign of the human was visible to him. Well then, he had only one option.

Just as Sinestro was about to continue his rush straight into the water, movement caught his eye. An unusual colour was bright against the blue of the ocean. Against all odds, Hal had surfaced and he had not yet been thrown against the rocks.

Still though, Thaal hesitated to retreat. The danger was not yet over. Those waters were violent and treacherous.

Despite the risky position he was in, Hal was actually swimming quite well. His arms tore through the water with ease, propelling him forward until he was out of the danger zone and no longer seconds from being tossed against jagged rocks. He was very lucky. Or perhaps just skilled enough for survival.

The panic slowly started to fade into relief and Thaal couldn't even be mad. After all, he'd come to expect Hal's ridiculous unpredictable behaviour. There was no controlling it.

Still, it was with narrowed eyes and crossed arms that Sinestro watched Hal make it to shore. In contrast, a wide grin was splitting across Hal's face. It seemed Hal had enjoyed his mad plunge into the ocean.

After a pause in which Hal's smile faded a little, Sinestro forced his posture to relax. "Warn me before you do that," he chastised and turned away, heading back to his seat.

Naturally, Hal bounded after him, a spring in his step. "Just a bit of fun. I was suffocating in the heat of this place. And sure, deserted island beach is supposed to be hot, but this is crazy! Why couldn't we have been marooned somewhere with just a little less sun?" 

Personally, Thaal didn't think there was anything wrong with the temperature. "Perhaps you should have considered that when you decided to maroon us here."

"I didn't decide," Hal retorted, just a bit reproachful. "It was an accident. And I've said sorry, haven't I?" He took several quick steps, catching up with Sinestro and moving to stand in front of him. "I'm sorry." Hal's brown eyes were very sincere.

Scoffing, Sinestro turned his head away, refusing to look at Hal. No apologies would get them off this island.

They'd both stopped now, were standing in the middle of the beach while the sun shone down directly on them. The heat really was immense, and it wouldn't be good for Hal, especially in his all but naked state.

"Where are your clothes?" Sinestro questioned, putting aside his irritation at Hal for now as he cast a quick glance towards the human. "You will be burnt like that."

As though he hadn't realised he was still in his underwear, Hal glanced down at himself, a look of mild surprise on his face. "Oh! Uh -" Hal's lips twisted into a puzzled frown then he turned to look over his shoulder at the cliff he'd jumped off. One hand came up to rub at the back of his neck. "I didn't really think that one through, did I?" His tone was sheepish.

With difficulty, Sinestro restrained from making any sign of his exasperation. Instead, he just grasped Hal's wrist and pulled him along to further up the beach. "I may not like you, Jordan, but you won't be dying on my watch."

There was very little resistance from Hal. He'd gone quiet and was only watching as Sinestro bent to bring the knife out of the sand.

Suspicious of the silence, Sinestro studied Hal closely. "We will retrieve your clothes." Still no response or much of any reaction really.

Why though, did Thaal care if Hal was suddenly uninterested in speaking? It was only a good thing, really. No longer would Hal try to force them to work together by appealing to Sinestro's better nature or other such rubbish.

The two of them headed into the forest inland from the beach. By this point, Sinestro had let go of Hal's hand but the human was following dutifully behind. "Do you really not like me?" he finally asked, breaking the wonderful silence.

"I believe I preferred you when you were being quiet," was Sinestro's pointed response. "That, I did like."

More silence fell. Then Hal sighed and he was hunched over a little, arms wrapped around himself. "If I could take it back, I would. I'd find some other way to stop you that doesn't leave us stuck here for hours on end. I just - I didn't want you to hurt anyone."

"You hurt me," Sinestro snapped, rounding on Hal suddenly with blazing eyes. "I could die out here. Everything I have worked for gone because you didn't stop to consider the consequences of your actions."

Even though Hal's expression was fairly distraught, Thaal didn't allow it to affect him - he couldn't. Shaking his head, he turned away.

His elbow was grabbed in a tight grip, Hal's thumb digging into the soft flesh there. "Listen to me." It seemed that Hal was getting desperate.

The touch of Hal's hand wasn't exactly pleasant. Droplets of water still clung to Hal's skin and it was soaking into the fabric of Sinestro's suit, leaving a cold wet patch he was not impressed with. Still though, he didn't shake Hal off him. Not yet, at least.

Using his grip on Sinestro's arm, Hal pulled himself close and looked up into Sinestro's eyes. "I'm going to fix this." It was a statement of fact, quite a determined one. "Whatever it takes. If I have to swim to the nearest inhabited land and beg for help. Or build a boat out of bamboo so we can float on out of here. Whatever it takes."

Certainly, there was something appealing in Hal's unwavering conviction, how he would dedicate himself to such a task even when all hope seemed lost. Only one problem then, remained.

"I'm sure you would," Sinestro murmured, not looking at Hal as he was busy pulling Hal's hand from his elbow. "But out of pure desire to help me? I don't think so." He shoved Hal away from him with a hand on Hal's chest. "All you want is my forgiveness. You won't have it. I am tired of being hurt by you."

It was Thaal's one desperate wish in that moment, that Hal would consent to help him because he wanted to. Nothing more. So close he was to having it but no. Hal just hated the feeling of being hated.

"That's not true." With ease it seemed, Hal had recovered from being shoved. "You think I don't know what it's like when you despise me? I feel - I don't want you to die. It has nothing to do with - with anything else. So I'm going to do whatever I can to make sure you get back to your Corps where you can cackle maniacally and twirl your evil moustache."

And in the end, what else could Thaal really expect from Hal? Perhaps his refusal to forgive Hal was ridiculous, perhaps he'd expected too much of Hal in the first place.

"I will hold you to that," Sinestro finally settled on. This was different to Hal's insistences that the two of them work together, this was a promise made by Hal and Hal alone.

Hal smiled at him. Trying to ignore that, Sinestro turned away. "We should continue," he said and moved to keep leading the way through the forest.

A few minutes later, the thick growth of trees lessened, easing into the barren cliff top surface. In a pile on the ground were Hal's clothes.

Unfortunately, Hal didn't look all that interested in putting them back on. "That was fun!" he told Sinestro brightly even as he brushed a spider web from his shoulder. "We should go cliff diving together now."

No doubt the expression on Sinestro's face said it all but he added some words too. "You expect me to also strip down to my underwear and throw myself off a cliff?" Just what enjoyment could Hal possibly find in such an activity?

An appraising eye ran up and down Sinestro's body. "You can do it fully clothed if you want," Hal shrugged. "I'm not picky. Your clothes will get wet though."

One of Sinestro's eyebrows shot up. "An astute observation. Who would've thought that jumping into the ocean while wearing clothes would get them wet?"

Far from being insulted, Hal just laughed and patted Sinestro's shoulder. "C'mon, Sin, it'll be fun. We don't want to waste this opportunity. There's a cliff. It is made to be jumped off. And there's no one around to tell us otherwise. No Green Lanterns to arrest you, no Yellow Lanterns to kill me…"

Somehow, Hal had a way of making stripping down to his underwear and jumping off a cliff sound very appealing because Thaal was quite tempted.

Not done yet, Hal wrapped an arm around Sinestro's shoulders and leaned in close. The cold dampness of water on his skin was offset by the innate heat of his body. Still, Thaal didn't particularly appreciate his clothes getting wet.

"After," Hal murmured to him, "I'll build you a bamboo boat while you sit there and watch and tell me everything I'm doing wrong. Would you like that?"

They were quite close to the edge of the cliff now and with Hal's weight pressed against him, Thaal was just a little concerned they were about to both slip over into the water. "One thing first." He twisted around, so Hal's back was to the water, then he pushed Hal off the cliff.

A yelp of surprise was Hal's reaction and Sinestro peered carefully down to watch him splash into the water. Hal was laughing again, of course, when he surfaced. Apparently he'd enjoyed the unexpected fall.

It was Sinestro's turn then as Hal helpfully shouted up to him, swallowing a mouthful of water as he did so. Jumping off a cliff wasn't all that daunting compared to some of the things Sinestro had done in his life.

He stripped down just like Hal had and took a moment to wonder just why he was about to do something so pointlessly stupid. Then he jumped. Air rushed past. It was similar but different to flight. There was nothing he could do to stop this fall. Perhaps Hal was right to enjoy it so much. It really was exhilarating.


End file.
